‘The pool was amazing and allowed me to get on my hands and knees during contractions. I was sick at one point but I remember telling Jenna I felt like I was at the spa with the water and my twinkly lights and affirmations everywhere!’
Read moreDear Midwives...we need to talk
‘I know the system is letting you down. Midwife means ‘with woman’ and I see how this has been taken away from you, how you have been stripped of the very reason you would have got into midwifery in the first place, to be with women.’
Read more150 things I've done as a doula
‘I’m celebrating five years as a doula this month so I took a trip down memory lane…what a journey!
Here’s a 150 things I’ve done since becoming a doula…’
Read moreMy two minute conversation with Ina May Gaskin
‘...we can plan and plan and plan but we just can't know... and not knowing needs to be part of the plan too. Finding a way to be ok with that is important. Antenatal prep should be more about finding your voice to speak up when your intuition is giving off warning signals, helping you let go so you can ride the waves of motherhood and grounding yourself into a calm space so you can handle the overwhelm.’
Read moreWhat does a doula do? Part Three
‘It is impossible for me to support a family in this intimate way without loving them. It’s not like loving your spouse, child or friend but it’s definitely love. It’s an emotional, private, personal and incredibly special time for the family and I get to be a part of it.’
Read moreOxytocin and the dark night
‘Oxytocin is like a voyeur. Watching everyone else from a distance, checking who is paying too much attention, who is around, is it safe, are things relaxed, oh wait, maybe I need to back off...’
Read moreWhat does a doula do? Part one
‘Have you ever been listened to? Really listened to? I don't mean going out with with your girls on Friday night, downing prosecco and putting the world to rights. I mean, one on one, no interruptions, no judgement, just being heard? No one trying to tell their story, waiting for you to finish, no comparisons, just someone who is completely engaged with what you're saying, cares about what you're saying and quietly listens to you?’
Read moreIt's not all about you.
‘You can't afford to get caught up in all the usual high expectations you have placed on yourself. No, you won't be able to have everything together all the time and always finish that to do list. You won't be able to be the perfect wife, daughter, sister or friend.’
Read moreOur homebirth featuring Jason Bourne
‘Her ‘surge’ passes and she eventually calms down and returns to her Zen-like state. Maybe it was just a tough one. In my relief I briefly think about offering paracetamol as a joke but don’t take the risk. She pads back to the bedroom and I return to Bourne.’
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